


Till We Meet Again

by HillaryLeonor



Category: Political RPF - US 20th c., Political RPF - US 21st c.
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-03-09
Packaged: 2018-09-27 12:04:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10020026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HillaryLeonor/pseuds/HillaryLeonor
Summary: Bill found Hillary at the Yale Law Library, but he didn’t seek her. Years later, he found her again. This time, they were in a place they neither dreamed nor imagined. And the stakes are higher. Will he let her go again?Loosely based on the movie Defending Your Life starring Albert Brooks and Meryl Streep.





	1. Chapter 1

Bill thought he has dead. He actually was. He just didn’t think that he’d wake up somewhere else, much less a hotel room and clad in a white toga or dress or whatever that he was wearing. When he realized where he was (or at least what his surroundings was), a bellboy came up to him to escort him to a bus to town. He followed the bellboy’s instructions blindly, still confused with the entire situation. When he reached town, he was brought to a woman named Sally, who was sitting behind a desk that reminded him of his own in New York.

“Well, Bill. Welcome”, said Sally.

“Welcome to where?”, Bill asked.

“Here”

“What here?”

Sally shrugged. “There’s no real name for this stage, actually. You folks call this the afterlife, I guess.”.

“So is this heaven or hell, or in between…?”, Bill drilled down on the specifics.

Sally shook her head. “That is pure bull. I don’t know why people on Earth believe those things. There’s no heaven or hell or in between. It’s just the universe. And as a person, either you move forward or you get sent back to Earth”.

“If I move on, where will I go?”

“Onward”

“Onward?”, Bill still wasn’t getting any of it.

“Yes, onward”, Sally replied. “Otherwise, you get to try again at Earth”.

“What does onward looks like? And why do I get to try again at Earth? Is it because I am bad?” Bill had more questions than answers.

Sally sighed. This would be a loooooong talk.

“We, the souls – the entities -  of the Universe, have one true goal in our lifetimes, one or several – to be either smart, brave or kind. In other words, we want each you to be regretful of nothing before you move onward. And when you do, you’ll be part of the Universe, working towards its betterment, not only for those who have moved onward but those who are still struggling, i.e. the living people on Earth. What does moving on looks like? That I cannot tell. Not because I am barred to do so, but because you wouldn’t understand it at this point”.

“Now, how do we know that you are ready to move on? Well, that’s where I come in. I am assigned by the Universe to help your defend your life. Starting tomorrow, we’ll be examining your life and looking at several episodes where we think you have exhibited smartness, kindness or bravery, or the lack of either. Then you, along with me, will make the case that you have been smart, kind or brave, and you have regretted nothing in your life. While we build you up, there will also be someone assigned by the Universe to break your case. I guess you might call him a prosecutor. The prosecutor will try to plant doubts in the judge’s hearts, trying to persuade them against your fitness to move forward. After four days of examination, the judges will decide whether you move onward or go back to Earth”.   

“So I am on trial here?”, Bill asked.

Sally shook her head and clarified, “No, this isn’t a trial. It might feel like one, but it really isn’t. We don’t hand judgements on whether you did the right or wrong thing. We decide whether you have lived your life to its fullest. That’s a big difference. Some criminals on Earth move forward because they have taken risks and owned up to their mistakes. That’s what we want from you. We want those moments of courage and resilience”.

Bill was a smart man, but still he could not make sense of anything that Sally just said.

That afternoon, with all the time for himself, he decided to explore the city (or rather, the afterlife’s iteration of it). One of the perks of being in the afterlife was that he could eat anything he liked and not gain a single pound, or block any artery in his heart in his case. All his late adult life, he was restricted to vegan diet and was only allowed to consume the normal diet in rare occasions. Not anymore. Feeling like a schoolboy again, he went to a diner, ordered a cheeseburger and wolfed it down like he used to in his 40’s. It was the best cheeseburger that he had in his life, and in the after. The melted cheese was deliciously dripping down his fingers that he was shamelessly licking them after he had finished the cheeseburger. He felt full, but he wanted more. Feeling like what kids these days call as YOLO, he ordered a large plate of cheese fries.

While he was waiting for his fries, he glanced around the diner and was surprised to see familiar face: Hillary Rodham, the then-incumbent-now-former Secretary of State. She was looking stunning in her white garb, similar to what he was wearing, more so that he could ever remember. Maybe it was the absence of worries that brought the life back in her eyes (no pun intended). Suddenly, he realized that she was in the same ballroom as he was where the bomb that killed him detonated. She must have died the same time as him.

Intrigued, he eyed her intently, hoping that he would get her attention. The pretty waitress already served him his fries, but he was still staring at Hillary. Oh this familiar feeling, playing eye games with her. His experience during that fateful night in the Yale Law Library proved to be very useful.

She finally caught his stare. Initially, she seemed confused but after a few seconds, probably after she realized what was happening to her before she died, she pursed her lips into a sly smirk until it reached a fully formed, genuine smile. Her eyes were poring over his. There was no doubt in Bill’s mind that the memory inside the Yale Law Library was running through her mind too. 

Bill raised his eyebrows, as if to challenge her. Not backing down, she mimicked his reaction. He reached for his cheese fries and chewed the snack in front of her, not breaking their connection. Incensed, she finally stood up and walked up to him, just like what she did forty years ago.

“If you’re gonna keep staring at me, and I keep staring back, you ought to…”

“…join me in my booth and share these yummy cheese fries with me”, Bill finished for her.

Hillary was stunned that Bill went off-script. He felt good about it though, launching a verbal sneak attack on her. What made him feel better was that she finally let out that big, incredible laugh of hers, something that he hasn’t had the luxury of hearing constantly. Infected by her hearty laugh, he let himself laugh too, the first time since he woke up from his “death”. Lost in their own bubble, the two of them were attracting curious glances from the other diners and the diner staff.

Bill offered Hillary to sit opposite him in his booth, which she immediately did. She took a piece of cheese fry and pulled the entire plate towards her.

“Ah ah ah, no fries for you. I know you’re vegan”, Hillary said playfully.  

“That was when I was on Earth”, he shot back, “Now that I’m not, I get to eat everything I want”.

“Typical, typical Bill Clinton”, she said as she popped a cheese fry into her mouth. “I heard your appetite was a legend in the White House”.

Bill turned beet red at her remark. It was definitely not one of his best habits.

“But definitely not more than Chris Christie”, said Bill in an attempt to turn the conversation.

Again, she managed to let out that loud laugh that he loved. Bill – 2, Hillary – 1.

Hillary seemed to forget that she was supposed to order her own food and devoured the fries with him instead. It took them hours to finish the entire thing because they were exchanging banters and stories in between. This was the longest conversation that they had with each other, in their lifetimes or the after. When they were alive, they were limited to casual, polite conversations with the boundary of one being a former President and the other being a serving Secretary of State. Now, with all of that gone, they managed to let it all out slow and easy.

Feeling full with fries and laughter, the two of them went out of the diner and decided to spend their time somewhere else, still not wanting to call the night off. Bill remembered that there was an art museum Sally told him about. The museum featured art from all over the world: the Louvre, Musée  d’Orsay, the Vatican Museums, the Met, everything. He bet the Yale Art Gallery would be there too. He especially loved their Rothko exhibition and he figured that Hillary would love to go there too. 

The decision to have a museum tour turned out to be a fantastic one, since both of them enjoyed viewing the magnificent pieces of art. Both of them had their fair share of travels around the world, Hillary especially since she was Secretary of State, but neither enjoyed touring museums as much as they did then. Bill relished talking about each piece that he recognized, telling Hillary what he knew and what heard about, while she was basking in the company of her own personal tour guide, constantly amazed at his vast knowledge and his ability to talk and talk and talk. It was a win-win for both.

Despite all splendid art presented to Bill inside the museum, the most magnificent he had ever seen was the woman walking beside him, admiring the lesser art surrounding her. Truth be told, he had harbored that same opinion since that spring day of 1971. However, he kept that opinion to himself, never letting her know of that incontrovertible knowledge. 

When they finished touring inside of the museum, they went outside and Bill saw a familiar piece: Henry Moore’s sculpture of a seated woman that he frequented in the Yale Art Gallery. The sculpture became his solace and refuge during his troubled times at law school. He was happy to again see this familiar fixture. It brought fond memories of his complicated but accomplished youth.

Bill was surprised to find Hillary grab his hand and pull him towards the statue. She seemed particularly excited to see the statue, undoubtedly because of her familiarity with it too. When they reached the statue, Hillary jumped to sit on the woman’s lap, and invited Bill to sit beside her.

His heart almost burst with affection towards the woman who was reaching out her hand to him. 

“I’ve always wanted to sit on this woman’s lap”, Hillary recalled fondly as Bill joined her. “I’m sure you remember this from Yale”.

“Hhmm hmmm. I used to sit in here back then too”.

“Oh really?”, she said, her voice dripping with jealousy, also curious about his history with the statue. 

“Yep. I used to think in here. Whenever I’m down or I’m troubled. This woman had been a good friend to me. She was just there, not leaving, just letting me think or cry. She doesn’t judge you or anything. Heck, if I could, I would have her brought with me after I left Yale”.

Both were stunned by his confession, Hillary especially. In an attempt to ease his heartbreak, she reached for his hand, placed it on her lap and rubbed her thumb against the back of his hand, letting him know that she was willing to listen, to share his aches and pains, his sufferings and his shortcomings, without prejudice and preconditions. He laid his eyes on hers and saw them convey the same message. His eyes slowly became drenched with tears, overwhelmed by the mixture of emotions that were suddenly running through his heart. 

Hillary was clearly emotional too. She didn’t realize how easy it was to connect to him, to access him, his deepest fears and insecurities – his entire being. Now that she’s had a glimpse of the real Bill Clinton, she wanted more, like a vice that she was suddenly hooked into. She was frightened to learn what more she did not know about him, what she might have missed when she was alive, but her intense pull towards him overcame her apprehension.

Surprising both of them, Bill leaned her head on her shoulder, taking solace on her tenacity. She savored the sensation of his skin against hers. It felt right. Really, really right. In a sudden move, Bill grazed his lips towards hers and locked them in a long, wet kiss. She was all too eager to respond, granting his tongue access. Bill poured his heart and soul into that kiss, and she breathlessly accepted what he had to offer, causing her to be intoxicated with him.

When their lungs finally burned to due lack of oxygen, both of them saw smiles across each other’s faces, relieved and elated that they both felt the same way. He took her palm and kissed it, her breath hitching as he did so. They were surprised that they had this much power over the other and knowing so only intensified their feelings for each other.

Neither of them took notice of the time since they left the diner and both were surprised that it was already past 2 am when Bill walked her to her hotel. A beaming Hillary kissed him good night and walked inside the hotel, leaving him with the feeling of satisfaction that he never felt in his failed marriage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! First of all, apologies to the readers of Redemption. I haven't figured out what to do with the fic without burning everything to the ground. But I haven't abandoned it yet. 
> 
> Second, this fic, as I have mentioned in the summary, is loosely based on the movie Defending Your Life. You don't need to see the movie to understand the fic, since I will be deviating from the movie quite a bit. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this fic. I target to update this fic everyday. :)


	2. Chapter 2

When he woke up the next morning, the noticed the small card that was not there the night before. He opened the card and read the message from the front desk left by one specific woman who would have all the goddamned reason to leave him a message at 3am:

_Billy,_

_My session ends at 4pm. I’ll see you at your courtroom, I guess? I don’t know what to call it._

_Hilly_

He had this stupid, goofy smile plastered on his face as he read her note. At age 64, he felt like a teenager again. Whatever his “trial” might turn into (he still had no idea what to expect, as he forgot to ask Sally the night before because he was “preoccupied”), he had Hillary to look forward to at the end of the day.

His proceedings started at 11. Sally entered the courtroom looking chipper while an unfamiliar man, who Bill presumed was his prosecutor, followed. The man reminded him of Ken Starr (but he was sure he was not Ken Starr because he was still alive). Still, the nagging recollection of the attorney who brought hell into his presidency was not a welcome feeling for him.

Bill was not particularly interested in the trial, and his attention dipped in and out of the proceedings. Several episodes in his childhood were brought up for discussion, the memories being flashed into what looked like TV screens. But he was not exactly happy to relive those dark moments in his life. He saw himself defending his mother from his abusive stepfather, which elicited a forceful defense from Sally. But he didn’t particularly care. He just wanted get this over with.

After the proceedings ended, Bill felt a light poke from Sally.

“You gonna see Hillary today?”

Bill was stunned. “How did you…?”

Sally simply smiled and pointed her finger towards her temple. Without another word, she left Bill into his own, freeing him up for Hillary.

When he went out the door, he saw Hillary just across the hall, her arms crossed and leaning against the wall. She looked bored and annoyed but at the moment their eyes met, Bill saw her irritation melt away. Unbeknownst to her, he felt the same way too. Hillary was his bliss. 

He kissed her cheek and he felt the warmth creeping up to her face. She was smiling like a teenage schoolgirl.

“Where do you wanna go?” she asked.

“You. You pick”, he said, not wanting to think because he feared it might divert his attention away from her.

Her smile widened.

“I want burritos”.

“Burritos it is, then”.

They went to a Mexican restaurant and fulfilled her burrito craving there. Neither brought up their respective proceedings, instead, they talk about the one subject both dear to their hearts: politics.

“I thought you were amazing in ‘08”, Bill complimented.

“Oh thank you”, said Hillary, before taking a large bite from her burrito. “I wasn’t successful, though”.

“Oh but you were. In ways that are not yet apparent to everyone”, he said with certainty. “You created a long lasting movement, Hilly. One day, when the glass ceiling finally gets broken, you will be thanked for paving the way, for making the path a lot easier. My dear, you do not belong to this generation. You belong to our grandchildren’s generation. You have always been so forward, so into the future that the rest of us take years to catch up with you”.

Bill saw her cheeks redden with his incessant praise. As a politician himself, he knew she was not stranger to commendation, but he thought this might be the first time that a compliment really went through her, and he was proud to be the one who had done so.

“You did the right thing with bin Laded”, Bill added. “I am so proud of you”

“Thanks”, her cheeks reddened further. “The raid almost never happened?”

“Why not?”, he said as he took his last bite of burrito.

“Well, you know the President. He doesn’t like military intervention. Joe is in the same page too. But Leon and I built a strong case for the raid. In the end, we prevailed. And thank God, it was a success”.

Bill just smiled. No single word could describe this intelligent, amazing, talented, beautiful, kind-hearted woman currently eating a burrito in front of him. 

Or maybe there was one: Hillary.

“You know, both of us ran for President, but the less deserving one got the title”, he said.

Hillary swatted his arm, shushing him.

“Don’t say that. 22 million new jobs is no easy feat. Many lives have been better because of you. You had a government shutdown and got impeached, for chrissakes! But despite all of that, you managed to turn the economy around and roaring. You don’t get enough credit for what you did, Billy. Remember that”.

He just smiled, grateful for her vote of confidence in him.

“You loved being President, don’t you?”, Hillary noted.

“Yes, I do. Up until now, despite being out of office, I feel that I have a responsibility to help people. That I cannot just sit idly by while I watch other people suffer. It’s not me. I need to make their lives better somehow.”  

“Do all the good you can, for all the people that you can, for as long as you can”.

“Exactly”.

Bill felt Hillary’s hand touch his cheek, adoring every wrinkle that lined his face. He felt her affections pour in her touch, her love seeping into his skin. He had never felt so wanted by a woman, and he never desired a woman more than her. Everything between them was oh so mutual.

Their second night together was less dramatic than the first, but it was more intimate, more mellow. They spent most of the night strolling in the park, walking hand in hand under the soft light of the moon. Bill and Hillary had so much fun together, but that doesn’t mean that he would allow the night to end without them doing something special. 

Bill invited Hillary to the dance party in his hotel and she was all too happy to come. When they arrived at the ballroom, it could not have been more incredible: The orchestra was playing It Had to Be You. Bill could not help but smile at the moment’s perfection.

He pulled her towards the middle of the ballroom, put his free hand on her waist and slowly motioned both of them to the tune of the music. Hillary followed her lead, blissfully savoring every second in his arms. Unconsciously, he leaned his forehead towards hers, further closing the gap between their bodies.

“I wish you were my First Lady back then”, he whispered beneath his breath.

“I am your First Lady now, and this is your Inaugural Ball”, she whispered back.

“Damn, I love you so much”, Bill thought in his head.

“I love you, Bill”, she said, as if reading what’s on his mind.

“I love you too, Hillary. I loved you back then. I love you now, and I will love you forever”.

Both of them wanted to be lost in the moment, threatening to burn with all the heat that had accumulated for the past two nights. But they cannot. At least, not yet. Taking a leap of faith, he breathed into her ear, “Come with me”.

Knowing full well what he meant, Hillary nodded.

Bill led her to his hotel room, breathlessly anticipating their impending consummation. He literally waited an entire lifetime to be with her, to touch her, to claim her as his. The goddess of his unending fantasies, now clasped in his arms at last.

Hillary’s lust for him was insatiable. Her desire for him only spurred him on. Over and over again, they tumbled over the edge. Together and more alive than they had ever been, in the face of the eternal abyss of that threatened to separate them.

Once they were completely sated, Hillary stood up and put her clothes back on. Bill didn’t want her to leave, but they had no choice. She had to get back to her hotel room.

“I’ll be gone for a few hours, but I’ll always be in your heart, okay?”, she tiptoed to reach his lips and kissed him goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the awesome comments in the first chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one! Comments are welcome and apologies for the grammatical and spelling errors (my proofreading skills need work)


	3. Chapter 3

Day 2 of his proceedings went like whirlwind. Like the first day, he wasn’t interested in the litigation that was being done in front him because he didn’t really care much if he would be going back to Earth. What’s the downside, really? He would get a fresh start on Earth without the baggage of his past life: his traumatic childhood, his incessant marital infidelities and his average political career. Maybe he’ll get to live a better life when he gets another chance. Build a family. Help more people. Fall in love.

Despite his inattentiveness during his own proceedings, there was one thing that Bill has undivided attention to: Hillary. Being separated from her during most of the day, he found out that he had almost zero patience when she was away from him, something that that was definitely not a problem for him when he was alive. He could not exactly explain why. The most logical explanation that he could think of was that he was experiencing withdrawal syndrome.

But he can’t help it, can he? Hillary was like a vice. Addicting and intoxicating. He just cannot get enough of her. When he was with her, all of his worries melt away. Isn’t that what a vice does?

When Bill was finished with his proceedings, he noticed that Hillary was not outside, waiting for him. He thought that she might not be finished with hers, so immediately went out to find her. True enough, she was still inside her “courtroom”, watching herself give her famous 2008 concession speech. After everybody in the room had seen the speech, her defender stood up and interrogated her.

“Do you have any regrets, Hillary? Even if you lost? Even if you failed in chasing your greatest dream?”, her defender asked.

Hillary shook her head. “No, I do not. My loss hurt badly. It stung for months. What loss doesn’t? But that loss turned me into a better human being. I gained a dear friend in Barack Obama and I wouldn’t exchange my years as Secretary of State for anything. These past two years had been the most blissful and most gratifying period of my entire career, political or otherwise. So, no. And, as a dear friend told me, my run for the presidency has inspired a generation of girls to follow suit. And I will never ever regret that”.

“You dear friend, meaning Bill Clinton?  The guy defended by Sally?”, her defender teased, now smiling at her.

Hillary turned beet red at her secret being exposed to her audience. Bill reminded himself to tease her about it later.

When Hillary finally got off from her proceedings, she immediately saw Bill waiting for her outside and practically sprinted towards him, welcoming her home in his arms. Hillary was thrilled to see him again, and he felt exactly the same way too. It’s as if their story had been lifted from a romcom. Cliché. Sure. But then again, their lives had been nothing like romcoms. No. Far from it.  

It was Bill’s turn to choose for their date, since Hillary picked the day before. He decided that he wanted to try Italian this time.

Inside the restaurant, Bill and Hillary were relatively quiet, but it wasn’t because of the awkwardness. In fact, it was the opposite. It was comfortable silence that was enveloping them both. No words were needed to be said. They were just staring, breathing, and indulging the company of each other. Once in a while, he would feed her with his steak, and she her pasta. Bill realized that moment that words were not needed to forge a connection between them. Silence was enough.

Nevertheless, Bill and Hillary are persons of incessant conversations. Somebody needed to start a discussion, a debate or anything. And at that moment, it was Hillary who chose to break the silence.

“Bill?”

“Hmm hmmm?”

“Why did you stray?”

Bill simply started at her. He knew she was waiting for an honest answer.

He lifted his glass and drank a gulp of wine.

“Because I had no reason to stay”.

He saw that she was yearning to hear more. With her fork still in midair, her eyes were begging for answers. She was demanding his full honesty. He just prayed that she would not be disappointed with him after he told her the truth.

“I thought I could love my wife. I really did. I could not fault her for anything. She was a damn good woman, and a very supportive wife too. She did all that she could to show me how much she loved me, but in the end it wasn’t enough. It’s not what I want”.

“What do you want, then?”, she asked, her eyes pleading.

“I want someone who I could really treat as my equal, someone who I could talk to, laugh and share my passion with. Someone who is not afraid to stand up to me and to show me my place. I don’t want a woman who would fawn over me. I want a woman who would challenge me”. 

His eyes caught hers, wanting her to fully grasp his next words. 

“And I can honestly say that’s you, Hill”.

Hillary dropped her mouth slightly open, no doubt getting the message he wished to convey. Bill caressed her cheek to let her know that he meant every single word he said. 

“You told me yesterday that you wished that I was your First Lady”, Hillary finally spoke.

“Yes”, said Bill, intrigued at where the conversation was going.

“I…I wish it was that way too”.

Now, it was Bill who was yearning to hear more.

Hillary cleared her throat. “I…I would have killed for the honor of standing beside you. In your ups and in your downs. The shutdown, the impeachment…I wish I was there to make everything better. For you. For the country. It must have been a lonely fight for you.”

“Even with the scandal? Even with my cheating? You still would wish to be with me?”, said Bill, somewhat in disbelief.

He knew she was struggling to find an answer.

“I...”, she said, “I would. Love is not simply an emotion. It’s a decision. If you really love someone, you don’t quit on them. No matter how hard. Even with the cheating, I am sure that I would have stayed with you”.

* * *

 

That night, Bill made love to Hillary with the intensity that he had never shown his wife, nor to any of the women he slept with. He had only one goal that night: to make Hillary feel that she’s only woman he had ever loved. Indeed, she was and she is. He felt that he was pretty successful in achieving that goal, judging from the breathless moans that came from her lips in the midst of their passion. As deep as her desire for him was, he was able to return the favor, and even more.

It was Bill’s turn to leave her room, needing to go back to his own. Just as when he was about to get off the bed, Hillary grabbed his wrist, pleading with her eyes not to leave her alone.

How could he deny her? He did not have the heart to go against her plea so he went back to bed and enclosed her body beneath his. He felt her cozy up in his arms, blissfully content with his warm presence. He rubbed her small back which elicited a low purr from her lips.

“Hilly?”, he whispered

“Billy?”, she replied, her eyes closed, willing herself not to fall asleep.

Bill tickled her nose. “You’re not gonna fall asleep on me, are you?”.

“Nope”. Her eyes were still closed, but she was all ears.

“You better not, because I have something important to say”.

“Fire away, Billy Boy. I’m listening”. Her eyes were still closed.

“You know what’s weird?”, he said in a sing-song voice.

“What?”

“What if I married you and then you ran for president after my term was over?”

Hillary scoffed at the ridiculousness of his idea. “That would be super weird”.

“But you know what?”

“What?”

“There’s one job I’d love more than being President”.

“What is it?”

“First Lover of the United States. Serving under your administration”.

Still with eyes closed, Hillary pinched Bill’s nose and giggled at her cheeky move.

“Hey, no fair”, Bill feigned his fake outrage.

“That’s for being too cheesy, Billy Honey. You’re cheesier than a four-cheese pizza in a New York pizzeria”.

“That was a very graphic yet appropriate description”. 

“Maybe I’m just craving for pizza”.

“At 1am?!”

“You can’t blame me, Clinton. You tire me too much. All the calories I had for dinner are already gone”.

“You wanna burn more? I am so much willing to be your exercise partner for this evening”

Hillary finally opened her eyes and swatted his arms. Bill tried to get even by poking her neck and waist: her ticklish spots. When Hillary finally can’t contain the tickles, she pushed her arms to create distance between their bodies.

“No more, Billy. No more please”, begged Hillary, still giggling. “I wanna sleep”.

“I thought you wanted pizza”, Bill shot back, still being frisky.

“Billyyyyyy…”

“Alright, alright”, he finally gave up. 

Hillary yawned. “I am really gonna fall asleep anytime soon”.

Bill kissed her hair. “Then sleep well my love”.

“Good night, Billy”.

“Good night, Hilly”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your lovely comments! Sorry, work got in the way a bit.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thanks for the encouragement! You guys are the best!
> 
> Second, a reader asked me when all of these happened. To answer the question, the story happened sometime in the fall of 2011. So Hillary wasn't able to finish her term as Secretary of State. :(
> 
> Anyway, here's the fourth chapter. Hope this sheds more light on their past. Enjoy!

Bill woke up at the sensation of Hillary’s breath tickling his chest. She had propped her head against his rib cage, using it at a makeshift pillow. His eyes focused of her lips, which was almost kissing his long, vertical scar; a souvenir from his first encounter with Death. He remembered how she ravished his scar last night with the same fervor as he did with the entirety of her body. He had almost cried at the sight: she was worshiping every inch of him: his strengths and insecurities; his highs and lows. He never felt more loved than he did last night.

He noticed a card perched on his bedside table. He did not remember seeing it the night before, or maybe he was just too busy making love to Hillary to notice. Without waking her, he reached for the card and opened it. Sure enough, the card was addressed to him. He opened the card and silently read its contents:

_Bill,_

_We have to talk before your proceedings later. Meet me at 10:30 at the courtroom._

_Sally_

Uh-oh. Sally must have been disappointed with his performance in the proceedings. He had to admit, he felt a bit guilty that she was giving all she got to defend him and yet he wouldn’t even lift a fucking finger to save his soul. It’s not her fault, though. He just didn’t care about the outcome either way. Moving on or going back to Earth, he just didn’t think it would make much of a difference in the long run.

_What’s the worst thing that could happen? I go back to Earth with no recollection of this and I get a fresh start._

_I go back to Earth with no recollection of this and I get a fresh start._

_I go back to Earth with no recollection of this._

That moment, reality hit him like a bucket of ice cold water being dumped into his head.  Stupid, stupid Bill. How the fuck did he not think of this sooner? Panic started to bubble in his chest, his mind in a complete overdrive. A different, more cynical Bill possessed him at that moment. He cursed himself for all of the wasted opportunities in his proceedings to turn things around for him when his lowest moments were brought up:  his troubled childhood and incessant cheating among others.

His reverie was broken by a set of soft fingers grazing his chest. His eyes traveled downward and saw Hillary, still with her eyes closed, smiling as a ray of sunshine directly hit her lovely face.

Boy, he had never seen a view so divine in his entire life.

He felt his unease temporarily melt away. He knew that his worries would come again soon but for now, Hillary was the center of his universe. She deserved his whole, undivided attention.  

“Good morning, Sunshine”, he greeted her. “Sleep well?”

“Yes, Handsome”, she said, opening her eyes. “Never slept better in years”.

“I’m glad”, he chuckled. “You really do think I’m handsome?”

“No. I was just trying to be polite to my house guest. It’s rude, you know”.

He slapped her bottom, trying to be cheeky. Hillary jumped at the sudden contact on her rear end.

“Ow! That hurt, Jefferson”. She playfully swatted his arm.

“You deserve it, Diane”, he said, motioning her hands away from his arms. “You really have a thing for my arms, don’t you? You love swatting them”.

“That’s because you’re being a naughty boy, Sir”.

“My lady over here wasn’t exactly nice yesterday either”, he shot back.

 Hillary giggled. “No, I wasn’t. But you liked that, don’t you?”

“Yep. I loved it. But not as much as you”. Bill nibbled her ear, her shoulder tingling at the sensation.

“Good”.

Bill could feel the beginnings of arousal at the bottom part of his body. He was practically begging Hillary to incense him further. She obviously got his message but she simply shook her head.

“Let us be adults for a couple of hours, Honey. I miss the feeling of being responsible”, she giggled.

Bill and Hillary decided to part their ways for the meantime so that they could prepare for their respective proceedings for the day. He suggested that they take a shower together but she said no, as much as she loved the idea.

“Fine, Babe. But this means we stay up later tonight”, he winked.

After a couple of hours of separation, the two met again in the city for breakfast. They chose an all-day breakfast joint, just across the diner where they first met. It was the cutest place they have seen in the city (so far). It looked a lot like that brick house for sale in California Drive that Bill used to pass by on the way to Little Rock Airport. He always made a mental note to himself that he would drop by and look at the inside, and possibly purchase the house for him and his wife, who was then his fiancée. But he never made the move. He never inquired the about the house. Years later, when he went back to Arkansas for the opening of his Presidential Library, he passed by along California Drive and saw that the house was already gone. His heart was crestfallen. He could have preserved the house if he had bought it.

When they were inside the breakfast joint, Hillary marveled at how lovely the place was. It was not as spectacularly furnished as the other structures they have visited, but it was the coziest and the homiest they have been in.

“This place is so pretty”, Hillary admired the place, her mouth agape and her head turning in all directions. “I would have loved to live in a place like this”.  

“Me too. This feels so much like home”, Bill said, still thinking about that house in California Drive. He thought that the interior of that house might have looked a lot like the breakfast joint.

_Stop thinking what could have been, Bill. Just stop stop stop stop._

When they finally settled on a table, Bill got himself some eggs and toast while Hillary had pancakes.  Their mouths watered at the tall stack of fluffy pancakes being served to her, oozing with thick maple syrup and topped with a small chunk of butter. Unable to help herself, Hillary cut a portion of pancake with her fork and swallowed it. Her eyes involuntarily closed as she slowly chewed the pancake.

“This is soooooo good”, cooed Hillary. “This is probably what pancake orgasm feels like”.

“Let me try” Bill took a morsel of pancake from her plate, and he too closed his eyes as he chewed. “Damn, this is delicious”

“I know!”

“But my pancakes are pretty close”, he immediately quipped.

Hillary was surprised to learn Bill’s culinary secret. “You make pancakes?”

“Yep, my specialty”, he said proudly.

“Hmmm”, she licked her lips, imagining what his pancakes might taste like. “I’m tempted”.

“You’ll love it, I swear”, he promised, choosing not to dwell further on the fact that they probably won’t have an opportunity for that, or for anything else either.

After breakfast, they went to the courthouses together. Bill walked Hillary to her designated courtroom, but not before he pulled her into an empty room and kissed the daylights out of her, maximizing his limited time to make her toes curl in pleasure. Bill was pretty sure that he heard someone enter the room but didn’t paid no attention to it. He felt her tense up a bit at the intrusion but he deepened the kiss so that she would forget about it. He needed to forget everything, to get lost in the moment just as much as he thought she needed to.  

When they finally broke away to gasp for air, they were both grinning like complete idiots.

“Were you like that in the White House?”, Hillary teased. “Pulling random women aside to make out with?”

Bill raised his eyebrow.

“No, no, no, I didn’t mean it like that…I mean….I…did you…”, she stammered.

After a few more seconds of awkwardness, Bill broke into a hearty laugh, but Hillary was still confused.

“I am just fooling with you, Babe”, he explained, before shifting into a more serious tone and bowing his head in shame. “But honestly, it was not the best time in my life. I was cheating on my wife with a girl almost half my age. Up to this day, I feel guilty for what I have done. I destroyed their lives, Hillary. I am ready to atone for it even if it takes an eternity. I really am. But if there’s one silver lining in all of this, it’s that I have never cheated on you. I would have destroyed myself if I did”.

She did not respond, but her soft gaze told him everything she wanted to say.

_In less than 48 hours, we might not see each other again. Ever_ , Bill thought as his heart broke into a million tiny pieces.   


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 3 for Bill and Hillary. One day more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I've said in the summary, there is one day left to our lovebirds. One more chapter after this and I am going to close this story. *sniff*
> 
> Enjoy!

“Are you okay, Honey? You seem distracted since this morning”, Hillary tried to catch his attention as they left the courthouse.

“I am fine”, he lied.

“Don’t you dare lie to me, William Jefferson”, she called out his bluff. “I know you like the back of my hand. Something’s up with you”.

Hillary was correct. Ever since this morning, since his realization of the possible grim ending to their short love story, he took pains not to let her know of his fears and reservations. His trepidation was further intensified when Sally confronted him before his proceeding, warning him (as he correctly predicted) that he could well be sent back to Earth with the way things were going in his defense. And Sally, too, knew about Hillary.  She used his relationship with Hillary to encourage him to perform better. But rather than obeying Sally, Bill instead opted to bottle up and keep his emotions to himself.

But Bill should have known better. This was Hillary he was talking to. She had managed to know him, understand him and empathize with him more than any other person in his life in just a span of three days. It was really magical, Bill thought, that someone was able to reach far enough to the depth of his soul the way she did. But such deep connection had its disadvantage too: it made it difficult to hide anything from her. She had not known every small detail in his life (since he had yet not told her so) but she didn’t need to. She knew him deep enough to understand his quirks, what makes him tick and what sets him off.

And this was no exception.

Bill finally relented. “I…I just figured out something earlier”.

“What was it?”, she replied softly. She could sense the tension in his voice.

He shook his head. “Not in here. We need to go somewhere else”. This was going to be a long, long conversation.

They settled on a bench on the park where they strolled on their second night together. They chose a spot near the river, where they could clearly see the deep blue waters and the crescent moon that provided the soft light in the midst of the deep night sky. Bill was amused at the apt metaphor. Hillary was the moon, and he was the night sky.  

As soon as they sat on the bench, he took a deep breath, steadying himself for the terrible conversation ahead.  He took her hands and caught her eyes, trying to remove all the hesitancy that he felt. Over and over, he thought that if Hillary was invested and devoted to them as she was, he ought to reciprocate.

“Hillary”, he began, “when I first came into this realm, I confess that I had no interest on what will happen to me after these four days are over. Whether I move on or I get sent back, it’s pretty much the same to me. But then you came. And you turned my world upside down. You really did. You’re a magnitude 9 earthquake that rocked my entire word”.

In the spur of the moment, Hilary bent her head backwards to let out a really loud and hearty laugh. “I don’t know if that’s the Southern Charm talking or if I really did that to you, but either way, it’s working”.

Bill silently chuckled, in disbelief that he actually let out that cheesy compliment. But he was glad that he was able to diffuse a bit of the tension that has been building between them.

“You came, Hilly. You came to me. And what seemed to be a worthless soul found its meaning.  But that soul didn’t realize its worth until now”. He was absentmindedly playing with her fingers. “I realized that this might be all the time we will have. After tomorrow, we…we might be separated for good. I don’t want to think about it but it’s all I can think of. Hilly, I can’t bear to lose you. I just can’t”.

During the entire time Bill was speaking, Hillary was simply smiling. It somehow irked Bill that she didn’t seem to take his words seriously. And of course, she noticed that too.

“You thought I was thinking that you’re going nuts, don’t you?”

He silently nodded.

“Well”, she shifted in her seat, ironing the wrinkles in her garb using her hands, “did you think I have not thought of that earlier?”

A slight twinge of embarrassment went through over Bill. He felt like a complete idiot, going all through this drama.

She giggled as she removed her right hand from his and cupped his cheek, rubbing her thumb against his skin. “Billy, I already gave a thought on what will happen to us. And I realized that it doesn’t make sense that we dwell on our fears and regrets. If ever, we should just focus what we have right now: us. Think about it Billy: there is only one in four chance that we’ll both move on”.

“Less than that because I bombed my defense”, Bill grumbled.

“Oh don’t give me that crap”, she dismissed. “Either way, the odds are stacked against us. And we have no control over the future. What we have control of is now. Today. And I do not want to go further regretting something that I could have done but didn’t. Is that what you want?”

Bill shook his head.

“Good. So let’s make the most of out our remaining time. There is so much yet I want to do, and I do not want to waste our time wallowing in what could have been. Is that understood, Mr. President?”

“Yes, Ma’am”.

She smiled and patted her cheek, satisfied with his response. He, on the other hand, felt the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders by her reassurance. He simply marveled at her resilience and tenacity. He always knew, way back 40 years, than she carried a sense of strength that other human being did. And he was right.

Deep in reverie, he did not notice that Hillary scooted over and leaned on head on his shoulder. She was a bit touchy than usual, playing with his hands and bumping her arms with his. He knew she wanted something. He chuckled at her feeble attempt. How adorable of her.

“I know you want something, Honey”.

“Bingo”

“What is it?”

“You probably won’t like it”.

“Fire away, Sweetheart. Daddy can take it”.

Hillary looked at him, tucked his shoulder under her chin and gave him her cutest puppy eyes that she knew he could not resist.

“I don’t want to make love tonight. I just want to cuddle”.

* * *

Bill and Hillary sat under a nearby tree, gazing the stars in a cloudless sky. She sat between her legs, his body hovering over hers and his arms wrapped around hers. Bill wasn’t exactly happy with her request for sexual abstinence for that night, but it’s Hillary. He doesn’t know how to deny her anything.  Heck, she could ask him to jump off a cliff and heck, he would do so. This sweet, sexy, brilliant woman had the a President of the United States, the leader of the free world and the most powerful man on Earth, wrapped around her finger!

“Bill?”

“Yes, Ma’am?”

She turned her side around so she could look at him face-to-face.

“When I approached you at the Yale Library, I was sure you had your eyes on me too. I mean, I really felt something when we were looking at each other back then. How come you didn’t talk to me after that? To be honest, I felt crushed when you didn’t”. 

Bill chucked to himself. He was surprised that it took her this long to ask that question. He almost thought she wasn’t going to.

 “I’m sorry that you felt that way when I didn’t take you up on your offer. But the short answer is I chickened out. My long answer is that I actually thought hard at the prospect of courting you and possibly marrying you, and realized that our relationship won’t probably work out. Make no mistake: I was truly, deeply attracted to you. You weren’t the shining example of conventional beauty, but I definitely saw something in you that made my heart – and my manhood – stir”.

Hillary blushed as she laughed off his semi-lewd compliment. Bill felt proud of himself.

“But, I also knew that you’ll have a successful political career ahead. You’re brilliant. You’re caring. You carry yourself with a self-possession that I had not seen in anyone else. And I was right! I mean, look how far you’ve come! More than any other woman in history!”

“And you managed to do that because you were free to choose your own path. Even if your husband had lived, I am sure he would be able to support you in your career. And me…I am not sure I could do the same. I confess, I knew back then that I would run for office someday. And if we got together, I am pretty sure we would be conflicted at some point and our relationship would have gone to the dogs. I would have loved to have you beside me in my journey to the presidency. But, in exchange, I would have hindered your career, your trajectory to success”.

Hillary took a moment to take it all in. She didn’t know that he was already thinking far ahead when he was staring at her that night at the Yale Law Library. But she was deeply touched that he actually thought about her future and didn’t step in the way.

But she wasn’t having any of it.

“You wanna know what I’d do if you ever pursued me?” she asked Bill.

He shook his head.

“Well”, she said, “I am actually amazed that we thought the same thing about each other. I knew you’d be President of the United States. No doubt about it. You are smart, and you get along with people easily. Plus your irresistible charm didn’t hurt”.

It was his turn to smile at her compliment.

“But if we did get together, I concede that we, at some point, would be conflicted. We are two young, optimistic firebrands, ready to change the world. Our whole lives are ahead of us and we would have needed to figure things out”.

“But one thing is certain: I would have followed you in Arkansas. It might be the other side of the moon for me, but I would have gone there. To be with you. You wanna know why?”

“Why?”, he asked, his heart yearning for her answer.

“Because home is wherever you are. Wherever I’m with you, I’m home”

* * *

 

The night did not end up as Hillary wanted. Or rather, as she initially wanted.

Bill thought of a something for possibly their last night together. He wasn’t sure it would work though, but he hoped against hope that it would. It had to.

He pulled Hillary from under the tree and he took her to a jazz bar in town. He, using his superb diplomatic and persuasion skills, coaxed the jazz player on stage to let him play the saxophone with him.  It wasn’t an easy task, but he managed to do it. Hillary, sitting in the audience, alone and unexpecting, was surprised to see her man up in the stage holding a saxophone. Bill was nervous as hell. He hadn’t played his sax in years and but he’d be damned if he wasn’t able to impress his girl that night.

Once Bill played his sax onstage, Hillary felt herself melting under the magic spell of his music.

Bill could see Hillary biting and licking her lips as he played the jazz tunes. He tried his best not to lose his concentration, but she was just damn sexy. She was driving him crazy without really trying. The ladies in the audience were swooning at him and he could see her eyes reduce into tight slits, no doubt feeling deep jealously. He swore he saw her click her tongue over a beautiful, voluptuous woman who was clearly trying to get his attention.

Hillary had nothing to worry, though. He ain’t going anywhere.

Once he played his last song, Hillary was shifting in her seat, her legs switching crosses. She was clearly uhm..affected by his music. When Bill got down from the stage, she stood up as she welcomed him to their table. Feeling bold and playful, she pulled Bill and caught his lips in a deep, carnal kiss. She could see from her peripheral that it was that other woman’s turn to scowl at her. She grinned triumphantly in between kisses, not giving a damn on the curious looks that they have attracted inside the jazz bar

There was no way both of them were calm after that seductive episode. Bill was pleasantly surprised to find out that he could be able to turn her on without even touching her. 

“I know that is stoking your ego, Handsome”, Hillary teased. “Not that I am complaining. But what is ego without action?”

Hillary was practically begging Bill to fulfill her desires, much to his pleasure. They settled to continue their lustful play in Bill’s place. Once inside his room, their garbs touched the floor and their sexual cravings were fulfilled in record time. Sated and satisfied, Hillary immediately fell asleep on Bill’s arms, looking serenely and never more at peace.

And he would not have her any other way.


	6. Chapter 6

Bill ended his fourth day of proceedings with much fireworks, much to Sally’s delight. Though the odds are slim, he was determined to win this battle so that he could be with Hillary for all eternity. Over and over, he successfully defended himself in front of his judges, utilizing the skills he had acquired as a lawyer and a politician. Bill wasn’t the explainer-in-chief for nothing. One by one, he effectively shot down every argument thrown by his prosecutor. Bill felt he was in his element, like in the middle of a presidential debate. Sally almost felt useless when Bill took charge, but she was definitely impressed by his performance. He even managed to fire a zinger against his prosecutor, which earned a nasty scowl from the latter. (Sally was trying hard not to laugh though)

After the entire deliberations, Bill, Sally and his prosecutor were asked to leave the room so that the judges could deliberate. Sally was busy patting Bill’s shoulder in delight when he caught the unusual sight of a nervous Hillary, standing on the opposite end of the corridor, no doubt with her defender and prosecutor too. She was looking down on the floor, her hands on her back and seemed to be murmuring something under her breath. Bill wished she would look up so he could catch her eye but she kept looking downwards. His felt sick seeing her like this. He wanted to comfort her so badly that without any word, he walked toward the other end of the corridor.

“Where are you going?”, asked Sally, grabbing his sleeve almost barely.

“Hillary”, he muttered.

“No, no, no, no, Bill”, Sally forbade. “You don’t have much time to talk to her. The judges will call us back any minute now”.

Just as Bill was going to let go of Sally’s grip, he saw Hillary and her companions went back inside her room. He was disappointed to miss the chance to comfort her.

A few more minutes of waiting and it was Bill’s turn to be called back. His suddenly became agitated as he went back inside.

This is it. It’s do or die.

Or something like that. Technically, he can’t die.

Bill was asked to stand in front of the judges as Salle and the prosecutor stood behind him. He tried to read the judges but their poker faces won’t give anything away. In a last ditch effort to save his fate, he bowed his head and silently said a short prayer like a death row convict about to receive his sentence.

Please, please, please let me be with Hillary.

“Mr. Clinton?”, said one of the judges, breaking Bill’s deep thoughts. “Are you ready?”

He simply nodded his head.

“Alright”, the judge cleared her throat. “After four days of deliberation, after considering all noteworthy aspects of your life, your judgements, your behaviors and your intellect, we have decided that you are fit to move forward in the next phase of your life”.

Bill’s mind was blank. He couldn’t process what the judge just said.

Reading his mind, Sally exclaimed, “You’ll move forward Bill. Congratulations!”

Bill could not believe his ears. That can’t be right. He was supposed to go back to Earth. But suddenly, he felt an unfamiliar pat on his back: his prosecutor was smiling at him too. 

“Well, done kiddo”, his prosecutor said. “Welcome to Eternal Life”.

Oh my God.

The realization of his triumph slowly came to him as the numbness melted away from his skin. All of the thoughts and emotions that were flushed out of his brain were suddenly coming back. He’s gonna be with Hillary! They’ll be together forever!

He laughed like a madman.

Feeling excited, he rushed out of the door to look for this girl. He was so pumped up to tell her the good news.

They will be together forever! He could not stop repeating it on his head!

Bill immediately found Hillary waiting for him at the corridor. He ran up to her and engulfed her in a tight embrace. He was so relieved to have her back in his arms again. He bowed his head on the crook of her neck and repeatedly murmured her name, as if her name would cease to exist if he didn’t.

“Billy”, Hillary said, her voice muffled beneath his chest. “We’ll be alright”.

“I know, Honey”, he replied. “You and me, together. Nothing will come between us now”.

Hillary didn’t respond. She just buried herself in his arms and tightened her grip around his body.

Neither moved nor spoke after that. They were simply in the middle of the corridor, silent and feeling each other’s presence.

After a while, a hand tapped Bill’s shoulder. He looked around and saw that it was Hillary’s defender.

“Mr. Clinton, Hillary would have to come with me”, the defender said.

“Why? Is there something she needed to work on?”, Bill inquired.

“Hillary needs to assemble with those who will be sent back to Earth”.

Wait…what?

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Why does she need to be taken back to Earth?”. Bill was confused.

“Hillary was offered a choice by her judges. She chose to go back to Earth and they granted her request”, the defender answered.

All the happy thoughts in his mind came into a screeching halt as he processed the news. No, no, no. There has to be a mistake.

“Babe, tell me you’re not going back to Earth”, Bill pleaded.

Hillary’s eyes started to glisten. “I’m sorry, Honey. I couldn’t tell you myself”, her voice almost choking.

“But why? I thought we’re gonna be together. Don’t you want that?”

Hillary finally burst into tears. Bill felt the wind being knocked off from his lungs as he watched his girl sob in front of him.

“Billy…Honey…I’m so sorry I was selfish. I do not want you to forget me. I know I told you that I am sure that we’ll be alright. But the truth is, I am as scared as you. The uncertainty kills me. So, I decided to make a deal with them: it’s me who’ll go back to Earth while you move forward. The knowledge of you, being out there on Earth and having no recollection of me, would eat me alive Bill. I cannot let that happen, my love. I do not want be just a chapter in one of your several lifetimes, Bill. I want to be your forever”.

Bill was now openly weeping too, for their unfortunate destiny that was cruelly decided for them. 

“But what about me, Babe?”, he wept, touching their foreheads and bringing her palm to his cheek. “I’d rather have my soul vanquished than to see you forget me and what we all had”.

Hillary shook her head. “You’ll be fine, Billy. I know you will”

“But I won’t!”, Bill sobbed like a child.

“Listen to me”, Hillary was desperately trying to pull it together, “I know for a fact that you are an amazing person. You have proven it to me time and time again these four days. I do not regret doing this for you. For us. So please do not blame yourself for the fate that I will be destined to undertake. I am proud to have done it. And if I will have another chance to do so, I will do it again. Repeatedly”.

Bill can’t take it anymore. He sobbed “No, no, no, no” on her shoulder as tears silently streamed down her face.

“Mr. Clinton, it’s time to let go”, Hillary’s defender broke the two of them apart. “We have to follow orders”.

He watched Hillary being escorted away from him towards an undisclosed location. Every terrible emotion had simultaneously coursed through his heart: despair, regret, defeat, hurt. He felt sick at the sight. He was like a husband burying his dead wife.

His wife!

Hillary was never even his wife! She’s just a woman whom he had slept with for the last four days. She was never bound to him, never will be. She had a husband who was bound to her, and she to him. He was just a man she just met in the afterlife with no uncertainty that their days ahead will be better than what they had before.  In the greater scheme of things, he was just a fleeting memory.

And yet…and yet. She chose him. She chose him to have her. To remember her. To preserve her memory and her legacy. She fought for him, for them. He never realized how special, how essential he was for her until that moment. She told him numerous times during their short tryst how she would have stayed with him, how she would have killed to be beside him during his darkest moments. But Bill thought that removed from all the actual hardships and failures in his life, it was easy for her to affirm her devotion to him. But now, in the face of a genuine ordeal, she still chose him. She stood for him. She fought for him. Unequivocally and unconditionally.   

It was not a hard choice for her, really.

It was Bill’s turn to fight for them.

_Hang on tight, Honey,_ he thought. _I’m not letting you go._

* * *

 

Bill felt his body being sucked in a deep vacuum. Feeling an unbelievable amount of pain, he was swirling around in a deep abyss of time, space and everything beyond it. In the midst of the immense gravity pulling his body away in every direction was blinding light. Bill could feel his heart pounding and his lungs constricting. He had no use for air, nor there were any amount of it present, but he would very much like to breathe so that the normal functions of this body would return. The intensity of his pain climbed further, prompting him to let out a soundless scream.

_You’re really brave, my Love._

What, where did that come from?

Bill could have sworn he heard Hillary’s voice in the abyss. He wanted to open his eyes and look for her in his surroundings but the light around him was too bright for him to open his eyes one. But his mind was desperately screaming for her, desperately scouring her in this void of nothingness that he had chosen to journey into, madly hoping that he would find her there.

 Slowly, the light surrounding him began to fade and the pain in body started to ebb. Little by little, the constrict on his lungs loosened and his heart was beating normally again. Sensing that everything had probably settled down, he opened his eyes, his pupils adjusting to the brightness.

He found himself in the middle of…nothing. Nothing. He was floating in nothing. There was nothing that Bill could identify as solid, liquid or gas. There wasn’t even light. But the surroundings were illuminated enough for him to see his body. 

* * *

 

_Bill arrived at his current predicament when he desperately begged for Sally’s help to pursue Hillary. By the time he sought her out, Hillary was already sent back to Earth. He wept and wept and wept on Sally’s feet, imploring her for her intervention. Sally did not agree to his beseeching, but her heart went out for him. She decided that she would bring up his petition for an emergency motion to his judges. In the emergency proceeding, she argued that she, his judges nor any other individual has the right or authority to impede true love. The judges decided that they will allow Bill to follow Hillary, but, in accordance to their laws, will not guide Bill towards her. He had to find all by himself._

_Bill was thankful for the opportunity, despite how improbable his cause was. As soon as he was allowed to go, Sally ordered Bill to close his eyes. As soon as he did, felt a cold sweeping wind that carried his body away into that painful abyss that he just endured._

* * *

 

He looked around again. Still nothing. He was running impatient. He needed to do something immediately if he wanted to have a chance of catching up to Hillary. He tried kicking his feet, and he felt himself being drifted into random directions. Encouraged by this small progress, he kicked harder and steered himself forward. He was finally moving. But to where? He didn’t know. And he didn’t care. Moving was infinitely better than immobility.

He drifted. He drifted into nothingness. He looked around and still saw no way out. In hindsight, trying to catch Hillary without any idea how was incredibly stupid. Hell, he didn’t even know where all of this would lead to, or if he would be able to get out of whatever this was. He was no stranger to reckless decisions, making a fair number of them during his lifetime, but this is still foolish beyond compare. However, this was the only chance that he could find her. Could he live by himself for the rest of eternity knowing that he had the chance to follow Hillary but he didn’t? No, he could not.

In fact, this ordeal would cause the destruction of this soul, then so be it.

So be it.

_No, don’t think that Honey, please._

There it was again. Her voice. He looked around and still found nothing to denote him of her presence. He hoped that it wasn’t his imagination playing tricks on him, otherwise it would have been so cruel a deception.  

_I can’t hold it much longer, Honey._

No. Bill started panicking. She must have been in danger somewhere. He knew he didn’t have much time so he pushed himself forward, desperately trying to find signs of her.

_Hillary, where do I find you?_

With immense feeling of helplessness, tears silently flowed in his cheeks. His one last chance of finding her was slowly slipping away.

_You know where to find me. I have always been there._

Bill blinked. Of course, she was there all along. She never fucking left. How could he have forgotten? A warm burst of hope filled body for the first time since he was carried away to the abyss. He closed his eyes, smiling, and willed himself to where Hillary was.

_I am here, Darlin’. I’m coming for you._

When Bill opened his eyes, he found himself in a place unlike where he was in. There were grids in all directions which were made of light. Above him, in front of him, behind him and below him. Some were even slanted. These grids were like windows where one can see through something. Curious as to what where in these grids, he floated to of grid squares and caught sight of moving images, like on TV.

He saw a vision of his younger self walking inside the halls of the Yale Law School accompanied by a woman with long, blonde hair. He can’t see the face of the woman, for her back was turned. He saw his younger self laugh and the woman turned around to reveal her face, her hand clutching her stomach to contain her big, loud and hearty laugh.

_It was Hillary._

Bill yearned for more. The next thing he saw was that Hillary was blushing and then they continued to walk along the halls of law school.  Then they were in line in front of the registrar’s office, chatting and laughing. His younger self was obviously smitten with her. Bill was obviously pleased with what he was seeing, but this never happened. He wanted to know what this was. Still looking for answers, he went on to look at another grid.

In the new vision, the imaginary Bill was a bit older than the first. He looked like he was campaigning for a seat in Congress. He recalled much of the things he saw himself doing. But the only difference was that instead of campaigning by himself, Hillary was with him, shaking hands, talking and listening to voters.

He looked at another one.  His heart almost stopped at what he saw. In the image, he was carrying Hillary in his arms and she was wearing what it seems like a white Victorian dress. He laid her into the bed and kissed her like there was no tomorrow. She snaked her armed behind his neck and pulled him towards the bed.

And there was another vision where an older version of themselves emerging from the hospital doors. She, wearing her thick, big glasses, was carrying a little baby wrapped in soft, white blankets while he was kissing he baby’s forehead.

_Oh God, they had a child._

Bill was overwhelmed by what he was seeing. It was his entire life – his family, his governorship, his Presidency, his Foundation – re-written with Hillary in it. Everything was familiar, but much happier than he had remembered. He even saw the episode of his infidelity with the intern. Instead of divorce proceedings, he saw a several visions of them, seated separately in the couch inside the White House living quarters, talking to an unidentified third person, who Bill assumed was a marriage counselor.  He even saw his last day at the White House, with him and Hillary welcoming the Bushes at the doorsteps.  

But he didn’t expect what he saw next.

 Hillary, clad in a maroon pantsuit, looked like she was taking her oath of office in front of Vice President Cheney. And then in another vision, she was giving her concession speech to Barack Obama, with him watching dutifully behind her. Then, she was taking another oath of office – this time in front of Joe Biden. He, an older lady and a younger one, whom he assumed was Hillary’s mother and their daughter, were all holding the Bible as she was sworn in as Secretary of State.

He was in her life too!

But the visions did not stop there. He saw an older Hillary, wearing a white pantsuit, smiling and waving in front of what it seemed like thousands of people carrying signs which bore her name. He knew that scene well, having been there countless times. It was the Democratic National Convention and she was the Democratic nominee for President.  He was sitting in the VIP box of the convention hall, giving her that lovesick look (with matching bite of the lips) as she, almost tearfully, accepted her party’s nomination.

Bill tempted himself to one last vision, excited as to what might come to her next.

Instead of seeing himself the Bible in the Capitol for her inauguration, they were inside a hotel ballroom in New York. The crowd was much smaller than the previous vision, but they too were carrying Hillary signs. Bill saw both of them emerge from the backstage and waved to the crowd, both glassy-eyed. And then, Hillary went on to give…her concession speech.

Again.

His heart sank at the sight of her in that humbling position for the second time. He knew from her eyes that she was barely holding it together, but she was persisting all the same. During the speech, he could have sworn that he saw himself muttering “That’s my girl”, his heart bursting with pride.   

_Do you want this, Honey?_ Hillary’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

_Do you?_  He thought back.

_Of course. What kind of a question is that?_

_The road ahead is not easy._

_Nobody said it would be._

_I saw what the future holds for us._

_And I want it,_ her voice said with finality.

_There’s no turning back._

_Are you trying to run away from me, Clinton?_

Bill chuckled. Hillary must have been getting impatient with his dilly-dallying. But no matter.  it’s time to end all of this.

_So what do I do now, Hilly?_

_Reach for it, Bill. Take it. It’s all in your hands._

_What about you?_

_I’ll be there with you._

Bill took a deep breath. Slowly, he reached out for the vision inside the grid. He felt a strong force sucking his body toward the vision. He was falling into another deep abyss, this time without the accompanying pain.

As he travelled into the unknown, he felt a small, familiar hand grasp his. He tightened his grip to the hand, not ever wanting to let it go.  

He knew everything will be alright.

 

* * *

 

_Though we know, we will never come again_

_Where there is love_

_Life begins over and over again_

_Seize the night, seize the day_

_Save the love, come what may_

_Love is worth everything we pay_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With this, I formally close their transcendental love story. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did in writing it. The ending became a mix of A Wrinkle In Time and Interstellar, which I did not foresee when I first conceptualized the story (the movie, Defending Your Life, did not expound on those details). This was supposed to be oneshot like Serendipity but it got way longer than I expected.
> 
> I will be back soon enough with a new chapter of Redemption and hopefully a new oneshot too. I am now back to reviewing for my actuarial exams so my updates will be sporadic. Apologies in advance :-(
> 
> Thank you so much for the encouragement everybody!


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